Paris: The Paris bid for the 2024 Olympics lavished praise Wednesday on incoming French President Emmanuel Macron, saying he was a boost to their chances of beating Los Angeles to the Games.
The French capital is primed to receive a team of International Olympic Committee delegates as the race to host 2024 heads into the home straight.
Tony Estanguet, co-chairman of the bid committee, described France’s youngest-ever president as “dynamic and open to the world”.
The three-time Olympic canoe champion said of the 39-year-old Macron: “In the international press he has the image of a young leader who goes beyond political divisions ... and is completely in line with the values we want to bring.
“He has just been elected but he has been familiar with the project for a long time,” Estanguet said, three days after Macron’s election victory.
The Paris bid will be under scrutiny from Sunday to Tuesday with the visit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission, a key moment in the bid process.
The commission is currently in Los Angeles.
The crunch vote to decide on the 2024 host is in September.
— AFP
